Critics Bash 'Modern Family' Cast over Ty Burrell Reunion Photo: 'I Thought He was Deceased'

Rest assured, Modern Family aficionados, Ty Burrell is alive and well. A framed image of him presented during the recent cast reunion, however, instigated worry among fans.

On November 15, a get-together of the Modern Family cast was documented by Sofia Vergara, the actress who portrayed Gloria in the famed ABC sitcom. Numerous stars of the show graced the event, including Sarah Hyland, Ariel Winter, Julie Bowen, Ed O’Neill, Jesse Tyler Ferguson, Eric Stonestreet, Nolan Gould, Rico Rodriguez, and several others.

Missing from the assembly was Ty Burrell, notably known for his character, Phil Dunphy, in the Modern Family series. In his honor, his former colleagues displayed a poster designed to replicate a photo frame featuring the actor's portrait. While this was an endearing act, it sparked speculation that Ty had passed away among many fans.

A fan voiced his panic upon noticing this on a video wherein the cast screamed, “We miss you, Ty!” The poster featuring Ty was positioned on the mantle, above a fireplace. “THIS MADE ME THINK HE WAS DEAD I PANICKED LMAO,” read the comment.

Another user chimed in, stating their need to verify on Google that Ty was indeed alive.

In a separate image, the cast huddled for a group picture, with Ariel, who played Alex Dunphy in the series and is currently 25, holding the poster. The majority were adorned in dark attire, enchanting the theory that it was a funeral. One fan remarked that he'd nearly suffered a mini heart attack, mistakenly thinking that Phil had died.

A fan humorously noted, “Typical Phil, making us think the worse. He should have been the robot iPad thing if he couldn’t make it,” referring to a story arc from Modern Family.

Ty has not made public the reason for his absence at the reunion, but it was likely because of a scheduling overlap. Presently, there does not seem to be ill feelings between Ty and the remaining cast members, as he was sorely missed at the event. This assembly is the first almost-complete cast reunion since the wrap-up of the series.

Ariel further cleared up the speculations in her own reunion post on Instagram, reassuring that Ty had not passed away and that he'd be present for the upcoming reunion.

The reunion was peppered with other notable moments, which Sofia shared. There were moments of the cast situated on a couch, laughing over glasses of wine. Sofia was shown sharing a laugh on the floor beside Jesse, who played Mitchell Pritchett in the series. She was also shown getting comfortable with Ed, who portrayed Jay Pritchett in the series. Another image showed Jesse posing alongside Ty's poster.

The sitcom, Modern Family, was broadcasted for 11 seasons between the years 2009 to 2020. It depicted familial bonds across several generations of the Pritchett family. The series has been a recipient of 22 Emmys, including five consecutive Best Comedy wins. The series ended with heartfelt tributes from the cast.

Ariel shared the sadness of parting with the Modern Family series on Instagram, highlighting the love and support they’ve received over the 11-year duration. Alongside a digital carousel on Instagram, Sarah mirrored the gratitude for the opportunity to have worked with all those involved in the series.